Access HD 1080D NTIA-Approved Digital to Analog TV Converter Box by Access HD
|
List Price: Our Price: $33.99 You Save: $26.00 (43%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $23.50 (click here) Category: Receiver or Amplifier See more digital camera details and other models |
|---|
Digital camera reviews of Access HD 1080D NTIA-Approved Digital to Analog TV Converter Box
Digital camera Review: Poor Review
Summary: 1 Stars
After purchasing 2 Access HD converter boxes as well as the elaborate Terk HD amplified antenna I was still struggling for a signal in a suburb of Detroit (not suppose to happen). I decided to spend a couple extra bucks on a Philco TB100HH9 and a Tivax STB-T8. Even after using a plain wire for an antenna I had a better signal and picture then the Access HD box and the Terk antenna... I suppose I would give the Tivax STB-T8 and the Philco TB100HH9 a big thumbs up... I'm ready to throw the Access HD boxes in the trash!
It's not supposed to be about the "signal" but that seems to be the case.
Digital camera Review: Provides DVD quality picture
Summary: 5 Stars
At first the converter did not get many stations and I saw some frozen images - but I noticed the message that the signal was weak. I called Access HD to complain. It turns out the FCC's own data shows at least 30% of TV owners will need a new antenna to get a good picture. Access HD identified the correct antenna using a zip code look-up plus a verification using Google Earth (look at surrounding trees and buildings). It was awesome. Got the new antenna and I get more stations than I have ever received before - with DVD quality picture. I am sure most of the complaints you hear about converters of all brands are not converter problems at all, but antenna problems! The before and after performance with a good antenna is amazing.Digital camera Review: Quality Unit with Great Picture
Summary: 5 Stars
I am happy with this converter box, the picture and sound quality are great and after a few hours of tv the case is still nice and cool. Great Unit.Digital camera Review: Responds poorly, emits a weird odor - not lovin' DTV!!!!
Summary: 1 Stars
Access HD 1080D Digital TV Converter Box
Well, let's start off by pointing out that the forced Federal conversion to digital TV is one of the biggest (and dumbest) consumer scams I've ever seen in my lifetime. What benefit there is to the American public completely escapes me -- analog TV worked just fine, and other than the TV sets, it was free. But, Congress and the FCC figured out a way to squeeze a few extra billion dollars out of the sizable portion of the TV audience who chose either to not pay for cable or to resist the rush to digital broadcast: either you had to but a brand-new digital TV, or get one of these dorky converter boxes, which were subsidized by the federal government at forty dollars a pop (costing roughly a billion dollars in taxpayer's money, given to the electronics industry...) Not only that, but then the Feds foolishly auctioned off the broadcast spectrum to private companies (aw, heck! we just went digital -- why would we *ever* need to hold on to those old analog channels??) The government got a few measly billion dollars in a phony "auction," while the telecommunications companies scooped up precious bandwidth for next to nothing. What a scam!)
So, the forced conversion to DTV is a big corporate scam, a handout to TV manufacturers, telecom companies and various electronics manufacturers. The American public foots the bill, and gets little else but an erosion of consumer choice and a dubious "improvement" in the media environment.
So... this Access DTV-1080 converter box is the one my family bought, with the forty-dollar rebate coupon from the government. And it sucks.
The unit sets up easily enough -- disconnect your antenna from your TV, plug this little black box in, and tell it to scan for all available digital channels. Oh, look! There are two new shopping channels, some religious programming, a couple of weather channels and a few alternate broadcast channels from the local networks, and a few more foreign-language stations, though nothing particularly sexy. Who knew?
But wait... what's that funny smell near the book shelves? Hmmm. That's odd. It took me a couple of days to figure it out, since it smelled just like some particularly pungent plastic Japanese collectibles that my daughter had gotten a while ago... But the nasty, plastic-y smell that had filled my living room was coming from the new digital converter box! Grrrrreat. I was already disenchanted with the performance of the box itself -- it takes several seconds to load each channel when you're surfing around; the digital images often break up or take a while to stabilize; there is a slight buzzing noise when the DTV channels are engaged. Also, the remote is not very reliable -- it doesn't work to change the volume, and it is very difficult to get it to put the box into "standby" power mode (which lessens the burnt plastic smell...)
In short, I am not loving DTV. I doubt I will invest in a new digital TV -- who can afford it? -- and I am definitely not paying for cable. I guess I'll keep my TV to watch videos and if there's a hot show on the tube, I'll just wait until it comes out on DVD to watch it. The conversion to digital TV is just another example Bush-era corporate welfare, one that we seem sadly to be stuck with for no reason at all. If anyone can explain the tangible benefits to consumers, feel free to chime in... But as far as this particular box goes -- ship it back unless you enjoy breathing toxic fumes. (Axton)
Digital camera Review: Review for the Access HD
Summary: 3 Stars
Everything looks good on this device, the only complaint that I have with it is that I have to unplug it from the wall about every day to reset it. If I dont it wont come on but once I reset it the thing works and shows a great picture.